jive

[ jahyv ]
See synonyms for: jivejivedjiverjivest on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. swing music or early jazz.

  2. the jargon associated with swing music and early jazz.

  1. Slang. deceptive, exaggerated, or meaningless talk: Don't give me any of that jive!

verb (used without object),jived, jiv·ing.
  1. to play jive.

  2. to dance to jive; jitterbug.

  1. Slang. to engage in kidding, teasing, or exaggeration.

verb (used with object),jived, jiv·ing.
  1. Slang. to tease; fool; kid: Stop jiving me!

adjective
  1. Slang. insincere, pretentious, or deceptive.

Origin of jive

1
First recorded in 1925–30; origin obscure; alleged to be an alteration of gibe1, though the shift in sense and phonetic change are unexplained

Other words from jive

  • jiver, noun

Words that may be confused with jive

Words Nearby jive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jive

jive

/ (dʒaɪv) /


noun
  1. a style of lively and jerky dance performed to jazz and, later, to rock and roll, popular esp in the 1940s and 1950s

  2. Also called: jive talk a variety of American slang spoken chiefly by Black people, esp jazz musicians

    • slang, mainly US deliberately misleading or deceptive talk

    • (as modifier): jive talk

verb
  1. (intr) to dance the jive

  2. slang, mainly US to mislead; tell lies (to)

Origin of jive

1
C20: of unknown origin

Derived forms of jive

  • jiver, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012